Average monthly cost of police to increase by £2 a month - but we will get 41 extra officers

The amount paid for policing is set to increase by £2 a month for an average (band D) household - to fund an additional 41 police officers and two dedicated cybercrime staff.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson has set the police and crime element of council tax at £2 more for an average property (band D) up from £15.19  to £17.19 per month.

Angus Macpherson said: “I am pleased that we have had a positive response from the public throughout the consultation; at area board and local locality meetings, through social media and the website.

“The consultation clearly showed that the public are in favour of the increase with 68% of respondents supporting the rise. Demand continues to increase, yet our allocation of the funding available nationally disadvantages us. The police are responding to more incidents whilst working with less.

“In fact we receive the fourth lowest funding per head of population in England and Wales.”

The increase in the policing part of local council tax will provide an additional £6.3 million and means that an additional 41 police officers will be recruited, alongside two dedicated cyber-crime staff.

The extra money will also secure two cyber-crime teams which focus on online fraud and child sexual exploitation, as well as a £500,000 funding boost to crime prevention with a particular focus on early intervention targeting those at risk of committing crime in future. 

Mr Macpherson added:  “In the feedback I received the public were very clear that they wanted more visibility.

“A number of these additional officers will be aligned to community policing teams focusing on 999 calls in the hope that this will enable others to focus on proactive policing in the community which will enable the public to see more of the police.

“I will continue to fight for fairer funding for Wiltshire so that we get a reasonable share of the national funding pot.

“I am pleased today that the Police and Crime Panel have recognised the result of the consultation, the strength of the case, and have endorsed the precept.”